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Fox News Host ‍Apologizes for Suggesting Lethal ‍Injections for Homeless Individuals with Mental Illness

Brian Kilmeade, ⁢co-host⁤ of “Fox & Friends,” issued an apology Sunday for comments‍ made the previous‍ week suggesting involuntary lethal injections as a solution for mentally ill⁢ homeless individuals.⁢ The remarks stemmed from a discussion on the August 22 stabbing​ death of 23-year-old Ukrainian‌ refugee⁤ Iryna zarutska on a light rail train ⁣in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The conversation on “Fox‌ & Friends” last Wednesday centered on ‌zarutska’s suspected killer,⁣ DeCarlos Brown Jr.,⁢ who is homeless, has a criminal record, and⁢ has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia according to his family. ⁣Security footage of ⁤the attack circulated widely online, sparking​ a national ‌debate ⁣regarding public safety and criminal sentencing.

During the segment, co-host Laurence Jones noted the significant ⁤financial investment‌ in programs designed to‍ assist the homeless and mentally ill, but pointed out that many individuals⁢ refuse available⁤ help. “A lot of them ⁣don’t‌ want⁢ to take the programs,” Jones stated. “A lot of them don’t want to get the ​help ⁤that is‍ necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take ⁣the‌ resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to⁤ be locked up in jail.”

Kilmeade​ then added, “Or involuntary lethal injection ‍or⁤ something – just⁢ kill ’em.”

A clip of Kilmeade’s statement gained significant traction on the platform X⁢ (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

addressing the controversy​ on Sunday’s⁢ broadcast, kilmeade said, “I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I am obviously aware that not all mentally ill, homeless people act as the perpetrator did in ⁢North Carolina and​ that so ⁢many homeless people deserve our ​empathy and compassion.”

The comments drew criticism online,with ⁤some commentators noting parallels to the⁣ Nazi euthanasia program authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1939,which⁣ resulted in the deaths of over 250,000 people⁢ with mental⁣ illness and disabilities.

As of now, Kilmeade ⁣has not faced the ⁣same consequences as political analyst Matthew ‌Dowd, who was terminated by⁢ MSNBC after commenting on the shooting death of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk.Dowd had stated that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which​ then lead ⁤to hateful actions,” and described kirk as a divisive figure. Following an immediate backlash, Rebecca Kutler, president of⁣ MSNBC, apologized and ended her relationship with Dowd.‌ Dowd himself later ⁤apologized,​ stating, “I in no way intended to blame Kirk for⁣ this horrendous attack.” Comcast, MSNBC’s parent company, issued a⁣ company-wide memo on Friday acknowledging Dowd’s firing‌ and​ emphasizing the need for betterment.